Garment Trimmings:
For making a garment, the material that are required other than the main fabrics, are called trimmings. Such as, button, sewing thread, label, motif, lining etc. If qualities of garment trimmings are good then possible to make perfect garment. There are some trimmings which are visible from outside, but there are some which are not visible, such as interlining. Some trimmings are used for increasing the beauty and some are used for the functional activities.
The number of trimmings in the garments industry are innumerable and it is not possible to discuss about all the items here. For this reason, in this chapter a brief discussion has been made and it has been kept limited within the items of widely used trimmings. During discussions about trimmings, importance has been given on the material with which the items are made and on their performance properties. In this article I will discuss various important qualities of garment trimmings those are essential need to make a perfect garment.
Quality of Garment Trimmings:
The trimmings, that is the items other than the main fabric of the garments, which are used for making of garments are divided mainly in two groups for the convenience of judging their qualities, such as,
- Textile material and
- Non-textile material
Before the making of a specific type of garments, the main fabric and the trimming to be used in garments should be selected with due care, so that the quality of fabrics or trimming are not deteriorated during making of the garments or the use of the garments.
The qualities of trimmings which should be given importance are discussed below:
1. Life time: The desired lifetime of a garment and the lifetimes of the trimmings used in that garment should be contemporary, otherwise the garment may be rejected before its desired lifetime. Specially, during washing or ironing of garments, trimmings can be damaged due to heat (if trimmings of low quality are used).
2. Shrinkage: For washing, or for heat, or for any other reasons, if trimmings are shrunk, then the beauty and quality of garments may be hampered. For example, if the sewing thread shrinks for any reason, seam puckering will happen and both the beauty and the quality of garments will be hampered. So, before the making of garments, the shrinkage test for the fabrics of the garments and the trimmings should be done.
3. Color fastness: The colors of the fabrics of the garments and the trimmings should not burn out or fade out due to washing of the garments, or for the cause of rubbing, or by the influence of heat or light. If colors are damaged during making of the garments or during the use of them, then the beauty and the quality of garments may be hampered due to which special importance should be given on color fastness of fabrics and trimmings.
4. Rust: Among the non-textile trimmings, the metallic trimmings such as, button, zipper etc. may be damaged by rust and on the fabrics of garments also stains of rust may happen. For remaining free from such problems, the trimmings made of those metals on which rusts does not occur (such as brass), or nickel plaited trimmings or non-metal trimmings may be used.
5. Comfortability: Special care should be given so that the trimmings which will be used in the garments, should not arise as the cause of any discomfort or problems during the use of the garments and will not be the cause of any kind of skin disease.
